6 Surefire Signs Of A Bad Hire

Finding a new member for your team is an extremely important process. While the right person can add to the cohesiveness and productivity of the group, hiring the wrong fit can upset the balance—costing the company a great deal of time and money. As a result, you want to ensure that you are aware of any red flags before it’s too late.

As you read over applicant resumes and cover letters, spotting grammatical and formatting errors are tell-tale signs that the candidate in question may not be what you are looking for. However, there is no better place than the interview to gauge whether or not someone will be the right fit for your team. While some professionals might not be great interviewers, that doesn’t mean they should be overlooked. However, there are certain red flags you can’t ignore.

Here are 6 ways to determine whether a potential hire will ultimately be a bad one:

They’re unprepared for the interview

All candidates should go into an interview with basic knowledge about your company and its mission, an in-depth but succinct summary of their professional history, and a strong case for themselves as to why you should hire them. If you ask them to tell you why they’re interested in the position and they give you a blank stare or a generic response in return, they may not have taken the time to learn about the company.

They’re too focused on themselves

While the candidate will be required to talk about themselves in the interview, pay attention to their tone when doing so. For example, if they only talk about their specific contribution and they throw others under the bus when they address challenges, they may not be the team player that you’re looking for. If they aren’t asking you questions throughout the interview, this should also raise a red flag. They should be equally as curious about the company as you are in them!

They’re short on details

Though the candidate shouldn’t ramble on about their previous roles and responsibilities, you also don’t want someone who gives you too few details about their capabilities and skill level. If they can’t coherently (and succinctly) explain how their experience makes them a fit for your team and the company as a whole, they may not have the confidence or ability to succeed in the role.

They’ve made little professional growth

Many candidates coming into job interviews, particularly millennials, might be looking for a new job opportunity because their current employer isn’t providing them with enough opportunities to grow. While motivation and desire to grow are admirable qualities you should want in an employee, it’s worth your time to discuss why a candidate may not have grown much as a professional at their current job. There could be a number of reasons why management at a candidate’s current or past company didn’t give them growth opportunities, and those reasons could raise real concerns about anyone you are thinking about hiring.

Their social media profiles are concerning

It’s important to comb through a candidate’s social media profiles before concluding whether or not they will be a good hire. Though unprofessional photos and tweets may make you cringe, the most important thing to look out for are work complaints. Not only is it unprofessional, but it can damage your company’s reputation and lead to interpersonal conflicts among team members. If they don’t have an issue bashing a previous employer, there is no guarantee that they won’t do the same to you.

They don’t take responsibility for mistakes

During the interview, you’ll want to see how they handled a difficult situation at work and how they resolved it. When a candidate answers this, you’ll want to have an ear out for how much responsibility they take for the incident. If it’s clear that the candidate has issues taking ownership of their work, ask yourself whether or not they’re the person you’re looking for.